Chaos on the high seas
by Aoi24
Summary: Drabbles and excerpts. Reposts from Livejournal post-574 Chaos Thread. Various themes and prompts. Roger, Garp, Whitebeard pirates, Marco, 'D' clan, Gin, OC, Une aka fem!Ace, Vivi and various cameos. Complete.
1. Chance Meetings

These are all reposts of my contribution to the 'Post-Ch574-let's-cheer-up-after-that-level-of-tragedy-and tears-chaos-thread-party.' because the internet is just awesome like that.

So, four short drabble prompts coming your way and be sure to check out the other entries.

I put a link in my profile.

Now, onwards to triumph…….or some crack at least.

* * *

Prompt: Chance Meetings

Characters: Roger, Garp.

* * *

The two men stood across from each other in the alleyway for the first time in their long………rivalry? friendship?, refusing to meet each other in the eye.

Garp carefully shifted the pink shopping bag while inwardly debating if it was worth it to simply drop the gear and run but then his wife would just send him out again. (Dammit, he was on leave. He couldn't have cornered that thrice-damned pirate last month or next month?)

Sure, it was somewhat (read:extremely) emasculating but Roger was having the worst of it in this situation. Garp would put a months worth of doughnuts on it either being a bet backfiring badly or an angry father on the rampage.

Either way, neither man had wanted to be seen tonight but irony was a cruel bitch and dictated that they would both take the same shortcut through the same dark, crusty and suspiciously smelling alleyway.

Roger pulled himself up to his full height, straightened the dress and quietly intoned  
"This never happened. I never saw you, you never saw me and it will never be spoken of."  
Garp sighed  
"Agreed. I'll throw you into Impel Down next month. Be sure to wear pants because capturing my greatest nemesis while he was wearing a dress would simply be too embarrassing."  
"Gyahahaha! You can try Garp!!"  
Garp smoothed down his apron and they both continued on.

It was noted by their subordinates the following month that their fight did seem to be particularly vicious.


	2. A bet

Next time, there's one of these I am **definitely** participating.

The stuff I get to read is completely worth it. XD

I mean, formerMarine!Ben? This brings me so much happiness.

(Weeps for joy.)

Go check out the link in my profile and show some love people!!

* * *

Prompt: A Bet

Characters: Whitebeard Pirates.

* * *

It was a normal day on the Moby Dick or at least as normal a day it could possibly be with what was reputed to be the strongest pirate crew in the world.  
The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the nurses were already on their twentieth attempt of the day to curb the drinking habits of their Captain to no avail and Ace was up to something.

Marco was pretending not to notice.  
He slouched against the rail and appeared to stare into the distance, dozing slightly. This was the secret to his success.

The reason the First Commander got away with so much is that he had perfected the art of nonchalant innocence. No one else could manage it quite the same as he did. Jozu hadn't a hope in hell and Thatch always gave himself away. One of the reasons they were shit at poker. (Incidentally, the best card players on the ship were all members of the nursing staff. They were also notorious cheaters but no one was good enough to catch them at it.)

Thatch was threatening to give the game away though. Marco silenced his snickering with a warning kick to the shins and a meaningful eyebrow.  
Ace was nearly halfway there by now and if Thatch ruined this Marco was going to drown him in his lunch. (Which today was soup and if Marco had to do that then there was a chance that one of those idiots would leave Ace to drown in his lunch and he did not want to have to explain that to Oyaji.)

Ace crawled on his stomach along the upper deck utilising years of stealth cultivated through stealing food between meals. His prey was close, just a little further and it would be within his grasp.

Thatch pretended to look towards the opposite side of the ship when he was keeping his eyes on the entertainment. Ace was just within reach now…

A strangled yell erupted and Ace flared away brandishing his ill-gotten prize and outrunning an enraged crewmate.  
Thatch didn't even pretend he wasn't involved and fell over laughing pounding his fist on the deck while he gasped for air.  
Marco bit the inside of his cheek as he desperately tried not to snicker. (He succeeded but only because he had years of practise.)

Ace gave an undignified yelp as his pursuer closed in making a swipe for his legs but the Second Commander kept a tight grip on the hair and dodged rolling to the side.  
Whitebeard hadn't been involved but he laughed uproariously as the chase continued. Ace was good but he couldn't outrun his pursuer forever.

__

After Marco had fished the youth out of his dinner (how had he not suffocated in his food yet?) he handed over a wad of Beli from a curiously absent Thatch causing Ace to grin through his bruises.  
"Eh, you don't have to take on every bet made with you y'know."  
Ace only widened his grin.  
"It was totally worth it… by the way I'm taking watch duty until he calms down. I don't really want to wake up bald or with another tattoo."  
Marco indicated towards his arm and raised an eyebrow.  
"That was totally Shanks' fault."  
He couldn't help it; he burst out laughing and ran his hand through his hair.  
"Since you completed one for Thatch then, I'll bet you…"


	3. Home is where the heart is

There seriously isn't enough Marco in the world.

I wrote loads of bits for this prompt but I ended up going with this and taking the core idea for another prompt. (The next one, in fact.)

I think it is a lot like another Marco piece I wrote but the intent and angle it completely different.

* * *

Prompt: Home is where the heart is.

Character: Marco.

* * *

Marco can't remember where he was born.

Life on the sea is all that he has ever known, all he has ever wanted to know, everything from before was lost.

Sometimes he dreams of shelter in an unknown land. It's a place that he does not know but still, there are people there who reach out their hands to him.  
The place (_Where?_) is full of life and sound, a community flourishing by the shore.  
He passes through market places and is greeted by familiar faces.

A robed person (_I know you, I'm sure I do_.) sits on a bench outside a strange looking house (_wasn't this_...) smoking a long decorated pipe. When they move the pipe their arm rattles the gold bracketed bracelet upon their wrist.

Marco knows that it is a dream, his dream, so he finds it mildly irritating that he can't identify these people.  
It all feels familiar though; safe, trusted and welcoming.  
Strangely however, even though the dream is always blurred, it always ends the same way.

In a confusion of fire and dust with the sound of waves lapping against the side of a boat. Someone (_who_?) pushes something (_I still have that, what was it_?) into his hands and the boat shoves off.

After several years he realises that he must be dreaming of what was once his home.  
But then he looks around the deck of the Moby Dick and notes the similarities.

He's already home.


	4. Tradition

Will of D babeh!

I have so many conspiracy theories for this it's not funny anymore.

* * *

Prompt: Tradition(s)

Characters: 'D' clan.

* * *

It happened around midsummer when the nights were dusky and stretched on before you in a dull glow.  
A bonfire, a feast and your nakama were all required.  
Late in the evening they would light the fires and dance until dawn, twirling amidst smoke, songs and fireflies.  
It was something that happened every year in the world regardless of place, weather or conditions.

__

When Garp was still a young man he celebrated with his wife and son.  
The entire village joined in and it eventually became an enormous celebration.  
Originally, he sang and danced on his own.  
In the following years, it was with her.  
Later again, he swung his infant son in his arms and cavorted around the bonfire before his wife stole Dragon for a dance herself.

The bemused villagers didn't understand but followed him round the flames.  
They brought food, drink and fuel for the bonfire.  
Songs of various descriptions echoed around the clearing and it lasted until every last attendee had collapsed in exhaustion.  
Garp would sit with her as she rocked Dragon on her shoulder and they would whisper together planning for next year.

__

Rouge arranged it in her hometown.  
She spent the month in advance planning it out; the food, the drink and the music (a most necessary component.)  
When a rookie pirate crew with their young (and deeply eccentric) Captain showed up midmorning of the day she directly informed him that if they weren't going to help they could damn well take a hike because _no-one_ was going to ruin this for her.

The Captain had grinned wide enough to split his scruffy beard and bounced up the beach demanding to be allowed to light the bonfire.  
The pirates were welcomed because behaved themselves much the same as the locals which meant they helped haul wood and prepare food before getting outrageously drunk and partying like madmen.

It was Rouge who lit the bonfire but she did agree to dance with him.  
The following day thanked her for letting them partake and confessed that they had stopped on this island in order to celebrate the same event even if he had no idea there was another who honoured the same celebration in this Part of South Blue.  
He asked for her full name and gave her his.  
The next time they came to Baterilla, he lit the bonfire even if he had to sacrifice a dance with Rouge to his first mate for the privilege.

__

Teach was unique in that he was the only one ever who did not celebrate it.  
He openly scorned it and to that end, in one of the many confrontations the crews had, Roger made a point of breaking his jaw.  
It healed well due to the excellent attentions of the doctor but Roger had made his point.

__

Saul loved to see people laughing and enjoying themselves so more than anyone else he looked forward to the party every single year.  
No matter where in the Grand Line he was he managed to make arrangements and celebrated it with his subordinates, his friends and anyone who happened to be in the general vicinity at the time.

Kuzan managed to attend the celebration once and had enjoyed it in his own way.  
The following year at about the same time he took a bottle of his preferred alcohol and set it sailing on a small raft with a small open torch burning away as a final tribute to his friend.

__

Dragon hasn't really celebrated it properly since Luffy was born.  
The last time he did was when she was still there.  
Still, at that time he pauses long enough to sit around the fire and share a drink with his commanders.  
Ivankov is disappointed that he doesn't celebrate the way he did in his younger years and is determined to see it done once more.  
Ivankov does eventually celebrate once more but with the son rather than the father.

__

Ace only celebrated half heartedly in his younger years.  
Dadan would throw him over his shoulder and carry him to the bonfire up by the cliff before helping him light it.  
Ace doesn't understand but Dadan would not move on this subject.  
(Any time that Garp is there it does tend to get more raucous.)

The year he meets Luffy he finally throws himself into the celebrations with gusto. (Luffy gets angry with Ace when he feels that his new big brother is failing to show proper enthusiasm.)  
He celebrates with the Spades to whom he fails to explain but they enjoy the party anyway.

That time of year rolls around when he is Second Commander and he bounces up to Whitebeard _demanding_ to celebrate.  
The grizzled Yonkou laughs and says how he was wondering if Ace was going to celebrate 'that'.  
Some of the older crewmates had clearly heard of it and gleefully throw themselves into preparations and this year when Ace lights the bonfire, it flares skyward and scatters glowing sparks through the air.

The next year, he lets Marco light it who agreed to pass it onto Thatch for the year after…

__

Luffy loves parties so he has never questioned it.  
When he was young, the villagers would prepare everything and Luffy would light the bonfire under strict supervision of a particularly grumpy Woop Slap.  
The biggest party he experienced for 'it' was when Shanks was there.  
The redhead had whooped gleefully once he had realised what they were preparing for. He promptly scooped up both Luffy and Makino and tore off to 'help' with the bonfire.  
Shanks quickly usurped control of the arrangements but no minded as the man can clearly throw one hell of a party.

Sanji learned about it from Zeff even if he never celebrated himself so he easily helps Luffy when his Captain very seriously declared that they had to have a bonfire party.  
The Strawhats enjoy the party, as much as any other but Usopp eventually asked why Luffy was so insistent about this particular party.

This was far from the last time they celebrated and they held the party with many others across the years.  
One year it was with the Okama army and Ivankov (who clearly had done it before.)  
Another it was with the red-haired pirates where Shanks once again unrepentedly usurped the role of party planner.  
The Whitebeard pirates, Vivi and the others, Kuja pirates, Shakky and Rayleigh, the other Supernovas along with all of the friends they have met and will meet again.

Luffy simply grins and adjusts his hat.  
"Family tradition."


	5. Hoist The Colours

A/N: Chaos thread sequel in the other story. Check my profile for details.

* * *

Prompt: Hoist the Colours

Character(s): Gin, OC

* * *

Gin is old.

He feels it in his bones, the wear and tear that comes from the inevitable onslaught of age and the harsh life of a mediocre pirate (by the exalted standards of the Grand Line at any rate.) He's above the level of rookies and those that lurk in the four corners but still light years away from the sheer oppressive power of the new world.

It annoys the hell out of him that he has lived this long and achieved nothing particularly as he has nowhere to go that he could while out his remaining time in relative peace.

He just sails on and realises that right now he has the most ironically peaceful life in the world.

And he hates it.

In the mornings he wakes up and starts to recite every obscenity he has ever heard because it hurts god-damnit and there's nothing he can do but curse it.

One morning, he'll reach the end of that foul list (at his age, it's certainly an impressive length even if he lacked the creativity that Sanji always had) and Gin suspects if the pain is ever that excruciating then that would finally be the day he'd die and thank fuck for that as he recites every day.

He's still strong enough to heft his tonfas and has taught many a rookie not to pick fights with random old men quietly sailing on the Grand Line.

He spends most of time sailing, searching for a good place to 'run out the clock' while he remembers all of the men and women he has known and how completely un-fucking fair it is that they're all dead and he had managed to outlive them all even Luffy. (It's most undeserved in his opinion.)

God-damnit, they were all supposed to outlive him!

_-break-_

Sometimes he encounters people he met through what Nico Robin called 'six degrees of separation'.

He acknowledges that it does make things less lonely but it also serves to drive home what an effect that man had on the entire world.

The point is moot anyway as nowadays most of those people seem to be either dead or dying.

The previous year he met the former First Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Marco was the kind of person that is very easy to get on with so Gin and he shared a few drinks while they swapped various stories.

Gin didn't mention it but the blond man scared him in some primitive way. For one thing he knew that the man was _much_ older than him even if it didn't look that way but there was something about his presence that worried him.

It wasn't malicious, just an innate sense of wrongness that he couldn't put his finger on. When he waved Marco off and watched him flare into the sky Gin wondered just what exactly he knew about Devil Fruits.

_-break-_

His ship was small but sturdy.

Simple enough for one person to sail but large enough to carry a handful of people reasonably.

Franky had suggested a friend who had a friend and he got recommended to a shipbuilder that crafted him a good sturdy boat suitable for his needs.

He kept telling himself that he was sailing to a good island to 'retire' onto but he really knew that in all likelihood his ship would be his coffin. Gin wouldn't object to this so much but it was a good ship and didn't deserve that. (Franky was the sort of bastard that would haunt him on principle, he was sure of it.)

_-break-_

The ocean was calm here, the sort you could enjoy swimming in, but the scattered debris of a wreck served as a strong reminder that this is the Grand Line and nothing should be taken for granted.

The boy, a skinny malnourished little runt, was clinging to a piece of the hull drifting in and out of consciousness.

Gin hauled him onto the boat and got him something to drink.

The brat, (Lico) had an active mouth on him and babbled away at Gin almost constantly.

In return Gin ignored him, fed him and idly contemplated turfing him back into the ocean.

They were a good bit away from any island so unless Gin found the heart to drown an obviously grieving ten year old the bucket was carrying two for now.

_-break-_

"Jiji, do you hate the marines?"

"I'm a pirate; marines are certainly _not _my friends."

Lico sniffed and wiped his nose on his arm.

"No, do you hate all marines?"

Gin opened one eye and regarded the child for a moment.

"I haven't met all marines, how could I hate each one?"

_-break-_

Lico leaned over the edge and trailed his hands in the water.

"Have you met any famous pirates?"

Gin snorted and kept his attention on his fishing net.

"Infamous. Pirates do bad things so they're infamous."

"Oh…Have you?"

"Yeah, loads. Famous _and_ infamous pirates"

_-break-_

"Did you want to be the Pirate King?"

"Hmmm, no. I never did."

Lico flipped from the rigging and glared at Gin who simply glared back.

"Liar, all pirates want to be king."

"Well, I didn't."

"What did you want then?"

Gin paused for a moment. The last person to ask him that….

"I wanted to be strong."

_-break-_

"What songs did they sing on your ship?"

Gin looks at the boy as if the sun has finally got to him and wonders if he had laid on that piece of the hull for just a _bit_ too long because he didn't believe in lying about your past and had told him what kind of crew Krieg had led.

Lico seemed to realise that and scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Oh, well what kind of songs do pirates sing?"

"What makes you think Pirates sing?"

Lico, skinny little desert rat that he was, folded his arms and managed to give Gin a condescending look.

"So, pirates don't have parties or like celebrating at all?"

Gin rolled his eyes and was reminded of an explanation given to him by another bright faced individual _decades_ ago.

"Hmmm, well it was really old when I was a kid myself but 'Binks Sake' has always been a favourite."

Lico puffed out his cheeks and slapped his palms on the table.

"Great, then you can teach me an' I'll teach you the one I know from home."

Gin, long since having abandoned any resistance surrounding the conversation simply drank his beer and gave the kid a flat and utterly unimpressed look.

"I'm serious Jiji. I was born in Alabasta and we've got a great Pirate song about the Pirate King and the Queen Neferteri Vivi."

"Really? I remember that, it was a huge scandal."

"….you really are old aren't you Jiji?"

_-break-_

"Is that it?"

Gin squinted and moved the boys hand slightly.

"That's it there, just to the left."

"The dog star, right?"

"Yeah..."

Lico flipped through the heavy and worn book.

"Why don't regular compasses work here?"

"Dunno' never cared enough to find out. I use the atlas and the stars mostly and the log only when necessary."

Lico made a mark on a map with his pencil. Tracking their progress from where Gin had reached out and pulled him from a certain death.

"Is it true what they say about the lady who drew the atlas?"

Gin snickered.

"They said a hell of a lot about that scary woman, still do in fact."

"Did she really navigate for the Pirate King?"

"Yeah, and controlled the weather, held dominion over spies, snipers and demons. Not to mention controlling the lifeblood of piracy."

"…..Jiji, you're making that up now aren't you?"

_-break-_

Gin had learned his lesson way back when and always made sure to stock _plenty_ of food. His paranoia was such that he had more than enough for himself and a growing boy who ate like a crate of half starved Seakings. (Sanji would have approved.)

Lico surprisingly did well during that first month. He would chatter constantly, asking endless questions or sit for hours in silence staring out into the Ocean.

Gin privately thought it was unhealthy for him to brood on the wreck; he apparently had snuck aboard anyway, so he taught him. He showed him how to man the ship, work the rigging and the basics of navigation. The boy was bright and talented. He seemed to be able to do anything Gin showed him, even use his tonfas like a pro. (He suspected a history of street fights.)

It did piss him off though that Lico was one of 'those' people. It wasn't anything he did per say but when he looked at him he saw everyone he had known before they died.

His enthusiasm, his hope, his silent grief. It all tugged on his heart and pushed him to help the boy if at all possible.

_-break-_

He had gotten careless; lazy and sloppy. Now look where it led him?

This was the Grand Line and it is _crawling_ with dangerous pirates.

He was an old man, in no shape to be protecting anyone and here he was with a foot on his throat, gun in his face and god knows he deserves it for everything under Krieg. But he can't die now, not when the boy is screaming, vulnerable, in real danger and oh-so-alone in this Ocean.

Gin struggles in vain, these guys aren't cocky rookies. They're bastards' allright but they're strong enough to deal with the likes of him.

He prays and begs to _just let the boy go!_

There's laughter and mocking words and he's pretty sure that's blood he tastes when they kick him.

It's pretty hazy at that point but then there's screaming but it's not his and it's not Lico but maybe he can't…

_-break-_

Lico is wailing into his shoulder and Gin has absolutely no idea what to do.

To be fair, he really doesn't know anything about Devil Fruit except they're not to go in the water and they can be seriously tough bastards.

(He has some strong suspicions about the repercussions of certain ones and he's afraid that this might be one of them.)

Where the boy even got one was beyond him and how he _didn't know_ just seems bizarre.

He'd be the first to admit it was utterly terrifying to see a creature out of legend rise up and begin spewing fire over their assailants. But he's not going to tell the brat that.

_-break-_

"I've decided. I'm going to be a pirate!"

Gin raises a sceptical eyebrow

"You are?"

"Yeah, I want to see this world and fill a big ship with really good guys."

Gin drums his fingers on the water barrel he's resting against and scans the child in front of him.

Orphaned, abandoned and no intention to go back to his hometown.

Skinny, underfed and scrawny. He was clever, learned quickly, determined and had a good moral compass on him. Plus he had a freaking _Scary_ Devil fruit to back it up.

He might be okay but if he's not sure Lico will survive then maybe he should have left him in the wreckage.

_-break-_

Gin was old.

He had been dying for the last few years, he was well aware of that, hoping for it even but he wasn't going to abandon the kid without any arrangements.

He saved him so Lico became his responsibility.

He was conflicted about returning but East Blue was the best really.

Lico needed time to grow, learn all you needed to for the sea and to master his Devil Fruit.

(He wondered where Marco would be, he'd probably be able to help the kid. That guy was probably still around somewhere. He was practically unkillable.)

Lico wouldn't set out to sea in this boat though.

Gin recalled what Sanji had told him over drinks years back, about what happened to their previous ship. He rather liked the idea of a burial at sea.

They set their course and headed towards Loguetown.

_-break-_

Gin heaved himself into the one comfortable chair on the ship and inadvertently gives the brat his second lesson in obscene language for the day. (Gin was friends with 'Black-leg' Sanji so he had all sorts of interesting swearwords.)

Lico grins and peers through the telescope, he's excited and won't quit squirming.

Gin snorts and hums a few bars of Binks Sake.

"_Going to deliver Binks' Sake, following the breeze…"_

Without looking back Lico starts singing a different song because he may have been a good kid but Gin would have been the first to tell you he was going to be kind of a dick when he got older. (So exactly like eighty percent of all pirates and marines out there then.)

Lico begins and Gin humours him.

The high pitch of a child and the scratchy bass of an elderly man drift on the wind as the boat skates smoothly onward.

"_The king and his men stole the queen from her bed…_"


	6. Une

Okay, fot those of you not in the know Une is Fem!Ace which is brillantly hilarious and full of badassery.

Follow the link in my profile and you will be rewarded with plenty of Une and her overprotective brothers ;)

This is a 'sort of' sequel to a fic by someone else where the question of her 'attire' was raised.

* * *

Prompt: Une

Character: Une, Whitebeard Pirates

* * *

Marjane? How did you get here?

Strange, she must have proved far too awesome to contain and thus escaped to cameo in another fic.

(Marjane is not mine but cameoing courtesy of someone else.)

__

The victory ultimately belonged to Thatch who had won the bet but everyone celebrated equally.

Granted, the terms of the bet were only for one full day which lasted until the following morning but they were desperately hoping that Une would enjoy it and thus adopt it more often.

Anyways, Une was absolutely _furious_ but wasn't going to back out even if she swore to never ever play cards with Thatch again and even burned several decks as proof.

(Jozu gave this a week before she got bored and gave in.)

Absolutely everyone was gathered up on the deck and very excited.

(Personally the author takes this as further proof that they are all in reality little old ladies.)

One of the nurses had the camera ready, as per the terms of the bet and the nursing staff was pretty giddy themselves which was strange considering the uniforms they sported. (And they choose them, not Whitebeard.)

They waited with bated breath as Marjane emerged from the cabins clutching an orange hat and nodded to the captain with an expression somewhere between smug and thrilled.

Whitebeard himself was grinning fit to crack. Thatch was standing safely between him and an unusually smug Marco because even if Une was going through with the bet there was probably a good chance that she would try to sear him from the deck.

The door swung open and Une stomped out onto the deck as unladylike as a gorilla looking seriously put out and wonderful all at the same time.

The sundress was long and ruffled but beautifully cut so it showed off and flattered her trim figure.

It was made of a light airy material so Une didn't overheat because Thatch had chosen a three quarter length sleeve design specifically to disguise her distinctive tattoos.

She looked beautiful and her pouting just made it more adorable.

Whitebeard beamed and Une scowled piteously.

Jozu realised that although their motives were good (he was on their side on that matter) no one had really thought this through and it was going to end very badly.

__

Une had stoicly accepted the sunhat from a grinning Marjane and had decided to go into town before she murdered Thatch for the dress, the bet and skipping around taking far too many photographs.

Once she was gone Jozu had voiced his, very legitimate concerns.

"I fail to see how this better."

Marco raised an eyebrow at this.

"What do you mean, eh? Une looks great and she's not," Marco gave an unhappy shudder "walking around half-naked anymore is she?"

"That's exactly the problem."

"What is?"

Jozu sighed; the others were just too pleased to see so much more material on Une that they were _totally_ missing the issue.

"Right, look at it this way. Une is an attractive girl right. Today she is dressed in a frock like a young lady. How do you think people are going to react when they see her?"

Marco paled and took off running. Thatch started banging his head on the mast before tearing off into town. Whitebeard was merely stymied that he had let something so _crucial_ pass him by.

__

Une herself was having a _fantastic_ day.

She hadn't needed to dine 'n' dash once so she'd been able to fully explore the town. She kept getting free food, far more than she usually got. Typically men were too busy ogling her chest (for one thing) to notice her stealing but today they were just handing out snacks (by her standard) left, right and centre.

She strolled through the park munching on a bun. If it was this easy to get free eats she may just do this again. Une did notice that the expressions she was getting were slightly different than usual though...

She adjusted the straw sunhat on her head. While she missed her own hat she'd probably keep this one anyway, it reminded her of Luffy enough for a little fondness although in her mind only Luffy looked right with a straw hat.

She paused and reminded herself to beat up Thatch tomorrow, focus on that stupid hairdo. Une grinned as she bit into a Danish and spotted another cake shop.

'I wonder if they'll be so kind as to give me a few samples too?'

__

While Une was enjoying a relentless supply of free food which did not involve running off at top speed to escape enraged chefs her nakama were desperately scouring the town for her and only finding a trail of lovestruck men in her wake which was strange as it was usually 'lust-struck' and they weren't exactly sure which is worse but set about defending her honour as a matter of principle regardless.

They failed to find her but put the fear of god into every male and food proprieter to such a degree that no woman ever got free food in that town for the next one hundred years.

Une casually strolled back onto the ship not long before dinner and tried to ignore the relieved expressions (and not a few bashful ones that said 'I-have-a-crush-on-you' which she absolutely refused to see, just a trick of the light.)

She raised an eyebrow at Marco who seemed unnaturally stressed. Come to think about it, lots of her nakama did this evening but Une dismissed guessing correctly that if she had to ask, she had to kick an awful lot of ass and dinner was nearly ready.

Marco was desperately trying not to look relieved but Une decided that she'd let it go as she'd had a nice relaxing day and eaten a lot of free food so it hadn't been the worst experience of her life.

"So, eh. Had a good day?"

Une simply gives him an enormous, bright smile and adjusts her hat before heading into dinner and thus missing the slightly starstruck expression on Marco's face (Which really, was for the best.)

Thatch waved his camera through the air in triumph and cavorted off to do something which just confused things further.

__

The next day when Une emerges in what at first appears to be a sleeveless vest the crew are prepared to celebrate thinking that a victory in the war 'to-make-Une-wear-more-clothes-to-keep-undeserving-bastards-from trying-shit'.

It turns out that she's wearing a halter neck that dips _scandalously_ low on her back showing off her tattoo…………and then they realise that it's made of leather so it's not really an improvement at all.

She chases Thatch around the ship for several hours and nearly succeeds in burning his hair off before dropping him into the water feeling her point has been made.

__

It is forgotten about for several weeks (in which time, Une is back wearing her strappy bikini tops while she hunts for a skimpier version of the halter, just for a change of pace.) until Thatch produces the photos.

They are hilariously bad. Sure, Une looks fabulous in them but she also scowls, stomps and looks _extraordinarily_ pissed.

Except for one (of which several copies were made and Whitebeard kept one beside her bounty photo in the album one of the nurses compiled for him of his children.)

It was the one taken just before they went into dinner.

The sun is setting behind her and the wind has caught her lifting her dress and the strands of her short hair peeking from underneath the hat.

She smiles broadly and her freckles stand out on her cheeks as her face lights up.

It falls to Marjane to state the obvious, which is that Une always looks her best when she smiles.

No one can argue with that.


	7. Alabasta

This really is the last one. We've reached the end of submissions so I'm not even going to attempt another.

This was thrown together in five minutes because I really wanted to answer a prompt for someone. :D

* * *

Prompt: Vivi and Alabasta

Characters: Erm...Vivi and Alabastan people

* * *

It is said that a king must be strong enough for every person in the land.

The people of Alabasta were strong.

So it should serve as no surprise that their Kings and Queens were doubly so.

King Cobra had been willing to destroy a priceless treasure in order to protect, not only his country, but his world.

Queen Titi willingly married Cobra. That pretty much says it all right there.

Queen Vivi had set off to sea, become a spy, fought a Shichibukai and waved her friends off when she wanted nothing more than to follow them in their cheerful boat that became her beacon of hope.

__

The people loved their royal line because they were not just the leaders of their country; they were human in the important ways.

Vivi played with the ordinary children just like anyone else.

Cobra fretted about his daughter spied on her from behind pillars. The people were used to the, quite frankly ridiculous, sight of their king hiding behind a bush and worrying about this daughter while unwilling to spoil her fun.

The royal household, while they represented themselves extremely well to other countries, was really just an enormous extended family.

They had bonds with each other and their country and decade after decade proved that they were willing to throw down their lives to protect it just like any of the citizens.

The people of Alabasta were very loyal and while several truths about their country were something of an open secret the World Government never found hard evidence of it.

Pirates were generally welcomed, depending on their behaviour and intentions naturally enough, (Hey, they're welcoming, not idiots.) and many an adventurer fondly remembered their time on Sandy Island.

Afterall; once upon a time an up and coming pirate crew had saved them from destruction.

It was an honoured tradition that continued on for many years. (To the point that all of Alabasta was covertly supporting the escapades of 'Desert Rat' Lico decades after Vivi had died.)

And if the Queen wasn't seen publicly for a year or so leaving the retired King Cobra and her extended family to take care of matters, who were they to say anything.

People could claim that their beloved Queen was off adventuring with the Pirate King and his nakama they could damn well prove it!!

No one was worried anyway.

The people of Alabasta were strong.

Their leaders doubly so.

And if the young woman who had given so much for them wanted to spend some time with her nakama they were certainly not going to begrudge her.

She would come back, she always did.

"Because, I love my country."


End file.
